Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    Gee, my mother's been having these for about 10 years.  
    
    I didn't realize they were anything new or experimental or anything.
    
    --bonnie

>    Gee, my mother's been having these for about 10 years.  
    
>    I didn't realize they were anything new or experimental or anything.
    
>    --bonnie


BUT WHERE, Bonnie, WHERE??????????

thanks.....justme.....jacqui

    re: .2
    
    Rural Montana, from a family doctor who retired at 72 because he
    was tired and thought he deserved some rest.  
    
    Come to think of it, I don't think her new, young doctor uses them.
    I'll have to ask her next time I talk to her.
    
    Like I said, I didn't know they were any big deal.
    
    --bonnie 

    1.  I did not find that having my breasts squashed was especially
    painful, and certainly not sufficiently painful to forego the test.
    
    2.  The author of the article, Jeff Hecht, may have more information.
    He is a free-lance writer and works at home.  His work-at-home phone
    number is 617-965-3834.
    
    							Ann B.

    In my "before DEC life" I was a design engineer at Texas Instruments.
    In 1972 we (a team of 5) designed and manufactured an Infrared breast
    scanner. It did not touch you in any way and was a "passive" scanner.
    Accuracy was 80-90% cancer detection at a stage 2 years before
    mamograms could detect same cancer. Cost was prohibitive ($50,000),
    so doctors chose to use x-ray equipment they already had. Only about
    1000 units were installed so TI stopped production. Some are still
    in service (sorry I don't know locations). AGA of Sweden came out
    with a comparable machine in 1974 (lower cost) and some of these
    are still in service also. Instruments are called "THERMOGRAHS"
    if you wish to locate one. Painless breast exams have been around
    for about 15 years. I did not know about the one using light, but
    I will be sure to tell my wife.
    
    (excuse the male entry in your conference, I want to understand
    women better. I read it regularly, but will try not to interject
    to often. Thanks for the conference, I've learned some things 
    already.)
    
    					Harvey

    Did you know that they stopped breast cancer research?  Or at least
    put on hold?  
    
    I was watching one of the "Nova" shows on breast cancer and its
    the biggest killer among women.  It showed that in the U.S. we have
    the highest breast cancer rate and Japan and other Asian countries
    have the lowest.  They got some money to do testing on American
    women by giving them low-fat diets and funding was cut off for
    anymore research.  Yet research is still in "high gear" for heart
    research which is the biggest killer among men.
    
    The doctors themselves said this (they were women doctors - a few
    men) and they feel that research in this area is vital.  
    
    Most breast exams done by women patients themselves found the cancer
    as well as mammograms......
    
    Its too bad the foundation or whoever stopped the funding doesn't
    consider this research important.  
    
    bobbi
     
    

    As a "high risk" myself (mom had a mascectomy 3 years ago--manual
    breast exam would never have shown what the mammogram did), I get
    a mammogram once a year.  I don't find them painful--maybe it's
    because I'm such a loudmouth about pain in the first place.  If
    it hurts, I say so.
    
    They are worth it.  Mom is now fine, and no trace of cancer, thank
    God.  I encourage women to do this for themselves and the people
    who love them.
    
    Jane
    

    As another "high-risker", I have to look forward to exams every
    year.  I was unprepared for how painful my first mammogram was several
    years ago and consequently was dreading this year's check-up.  When
    Health Services offered the option of having it done via the Mobile
    Van route, I opted for that and was relieved and delighted to find
    it was a breeze.  I think alot has to do with the technician, how
    modern the equipment is, and your anxiety level at the time.

    I just had a mammogram due to a lump in my breast I had been monitoring
    for a while.  From what my mother had told me, she swears most of the 
    male technicians that did her mammograms were out to hurt her and
    suggested to me to find someone who had a female tech.
    
    I did and the exam was NOT painful.  In fact I told her a couple
    times she could flatten my breast more if she needed to.  So go
    for a female tech...it does make a difference!
    
    Judy 

    Possibility - male examiners find that rough, impersonal treatment
    reduces their arousal, where gentleness might increase it. 
    
    Maybe the male techs are gentle people at odds with their own
    gentle natures ? And not sadists who enjoy causing pain. 
    
    Dana

    re .10    
    
    Dana, so then does it follow that when a female tech or
    doctor handles a man roughly, it's because she's aroused?
    That seems faintly ludicrous...
    
    I suspect that if male techs had to undergo an equivalent
    procedure on a [similarly sensitive] part of their own
    body, they would quickly develop some sensitivity.
    
    Bruce

    re .10
    
    I would like to think that health professional's have dealt with
    their emotions and are neutral during any examination or procedure
    they perform on a patient.

    re .12 Perhaps one way of dealing with their emotions is to
    become less sensitive ? And wouldn't a male be more likely
    to overcompensate in this area ? (been too long since I 
    studied psychology) 
    
    Professionals are human too. Thank goodness.
    
    Dana

    Dana, I understand what you mean, and yes, maybe some men would
    need to act rough to prevent their getting...er...over-involved.
    
    That, however, impresses me as a deficiency either in the man or
    in the training thereof. A health professional should be able to
    look at a paitent *solely* as a patient. I know several male massage
    therapists. A full-body Swedish massage requires not only skill,
    but a great deal of caring touching *WITHOUT* any suggestion of
    sexuality. None of them have any trouble with controlling themselves
    and being caring at the same time.
    
    Surely a guy dealing with a woman who is half-clothed, and whose
    breast is mashed flat in a *machine, fer godsakes* ought to be able
    to control *him*self without being rough on the patient.
    
    Dawn
    

    Ah yes...  the arguments for segregation. I suppose I shouldn't go
    to  a  black  doctor because he wouldn't be able to distinguish my
    normal color from pallor.

    A friend of mine (female, around 60 and an MD, all relevant facts)
    says  that when she was in Med. school it was inconceivable that a
    woman  could  be  a  urologist  and  have  to examine (gasp) mens'
    penises.  The  argument  that only a woman can do breast exams (or
    gynecological exams for that matter) quickly leads to more of this
    sort of segregation.

    This was  a major argument during the civil rights movement of the
    early  sixties.  Many  segregationists argued that blacks couldn't
    {understand,  teach,  speak  the same language} as whites. I don't
    accept  if from whites trying to keep blacks out of professions, I
    don't  accept it from men trying to keep women out of professions,
    and  I'm  damned  if  I'm  going to accept it from women trying to
    resegregate themselves.

--David

    ps. I  have  been examined for a possible hernia ( a genital exam)
    by both male and female doctors, and didn't notice any difference.

    oh, good grief. 
    
    i've had many gyn's. the worst by far was a woman. i still prefer
    female gyns. even the best-intentioned and gentlest men (even ones
    that i've trusted) haven't been as gentle as most of the women.
    my best gyn exams have been ones where the doctor: talked to me
    like a real person with real feelings who deserved respect, AND
    examined me so gently that i almost couldn't feel it.
    
    it's interesting to me that there are so few female urologists and
    so many male gyns.
    
    liz

>    it's interesting to me that there are so few female urologists and
>    so many male gyns.

    As I  said  in  my previous reply, woman weren't allowed to become
    urologists  and  men were allowed to become gyns. (When there were
    few  female  doctors,  someone had to do it.) This is one of those
    things that will gradually change as the 50-60 year olds who chose
    specialties  under  these constraints retire and are replaced by a
    later generation who had a greater choice in specialty.

--David